History Creator / Funimation

From The90s to the TurnOfTheMillennium, Funimation was a respectably sized anime distributor. However, by 2009, Funimation bought up titles from Creator/ADVFilms, Creator/{{Geneon}}, and Creator/BandaiEntertainment, and soon came to dominate the North American anime market: the saying became that other companies can only buy licenses that Funimation had passed on after deeming them not worth the investment. By TheNewTens, the only other large distributors are (more or less) Creator/VizMedia (which is also a major manga distributor) and Creator/SentaiFilmworks (a successor company for the remnants of ADV), but they used to have a small fraction of the market share that Funimation enjoys. Yet Sentai and newcomer Creator/AniplexUSA have risen tremendously and Funi's own share of the market and titles have decreased significantly. Also, Creator/NozomiEntertainment, Creator/DiscotekMedia, and Website/{{Crunchyroll}} (starting in 2016, [[http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2016-07-01/crunchyroll-to-dub-release-anime-on-bd-dvd/.103876 due to actually starting to fund dubs in addition to home video releases]]) have also chipped away at Funimation's monopoly. However it's still the leading distributor of anime in the U.S.

By September 2016, Funimation partnered with Website/{{Crunchyroll}} [[https://web.archive.org/web/20160908193558/http://www.funimation.com/blog/2016/09/08/funimation-crunchyroll-working-together-to-bring-you-more/ to distribute and dub Crunchyroll's licensed titles on home video, while Crunchyroll showed some of Funimation's simulcast titles in a sub-only format]]. [[https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2018-10-18/funimation-crunchyroll-end-content-sharing-partnership/.138330 The partnership formally ended]] on October 10, 2018, mainly due to Creator/SonyPictures and AT&T's respective acquisitions of Funimation and Crunchyroll's parent company, Otter Media. Coincidentally, Sony's acquisition put Funimation under the same corporate roof as Creator/{{Aniplex}} and Creator/A1Pictures.

* ''Manga/CaseClosed'' [[note]](as of 2013, only the first 130 episodes and first 6 movies -- the license then went to Website/{{Crunchyroll}})[[/note]]

* NetworkToTheRescue: Once they struck a business deal with Website/{{Crunchyroll}}, Funimation focused a lot of their licensing efforts on securing the rights to popular series that had previously been [[NoExportForYou floating in limbo]] such as ''Literature/{{Gosick}}'' and ''Literature/{{Hyouka}}''. That's not to mention all of their license pickups from distributors that had went belly-up, which is listed on the main page.

Funimation currently holds the rights for almost all Creator/{{GONZO}} properties[[note]] (exceptions: ''VideoGame/GateKeepers'' and ''Anime/GateKeepers21'' (Creator/{{Geneon}}); ''Anime/BlueSubmarineNo6'', ''Manga/{{Bokurano}}'' (Creator/DiscotekMedia); ''Melty Lancer'', ''Literature/SentouYouseiYukikaze'' (Creator/BandaiEntertainment); ''Manga/ATownWhereYouLive'' (Creator/NozomiEntertainment); ''Anime/{{Gravion}}'', ''WesternAnimation/GIJoeSigma6'', ''Anime/FinalFantasyUnlimited'', ''Zaion I Wish You Were Here'', ''Manga/SpecialA'', ''Literature/DogAndScissors'', ''Manga/{{Saikano}}'', ''Manga/BlueDrop'', ''Anime/LeviathanTheLastDefense'', (Creator/ADVFilms and its descendants); ''Manga/RealBoutHighSchool'' (Creator/{{Tokyopop}}); ''Manga/SevenSeeds'' (Creator/{{Netflix}}), and others that remain unlicensed)[[/note]], and they have been releasing them in very appealing boxed sets with excellent production values and many extras (examples include their releases of ''Anime/AfroSamurai'' and ''Anime/SpeedGrapher''). They also have an imprint of sorts called ''The Viridian Collection'', which they have designed as a sort of Creator/CriterionCollection for high-profile anime releases, such as ''Anime/SamuraiSeven'', ''Manga/{{Basilisk}}'' and ''Manga/DesertPunk''. These releases are budget priced, so it's very easy to amass a relatively large collection of good anime without breaking your pockets. ''S.A.V.E. Edition'', where you can get a complete series for at most $30, takes this concept one step further. Funimation was in talks to possibly re-license titles that Creator/BandaiEntertainment had before they ceased producing anything themselves.

On July 31, 2017, Sony Pictures Television [[https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2017-07-31/sony-pictures-tv-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-funimation/.119575 acquired a 95% stake in Funimation for $143 million while Fukunaga retained his position with a 5% share]]. On December 9, 2020, AT&T [[https://www.sonypictures.com/corp/press_releases/2020/1209/atttosellcrunchyrolltosonysfunimationglobalgroup agreed to sale Crunchyroll to Sony]] for $1.175 billion, which was completed in August 2021.

On July 31, 2017, Sony Pictures Television [[https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2017-07-31/sony-pictures-tv-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-funimation/.119575 acquired a 95% stake in Funimation for $143 million while Fukunaga retained his position with a 5% share]]. On December 9, 2020, AT&T [[https://www.sonypictures.com/corp/press_releases/2020/1209/atttosellcrunchyrolltosonysfunimationglobalgroup sold Crunchyroll to Sony]] for $1.175 billion.

On July 31, 2017, Sony Pictures Television [[https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2017-07-31/sony-pictures-tv-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-funimation/.119575 acquired a 95% stake in Funimation for $143 million while Fukunaga retained his position with a 5% share]]. On December 9, 2020, AT&T [[https://www.sonypictures.com/corp/press_releases/2020/1209/atttosellcrunchyrolltosonysfunimationglobalgroup sold Crunchyroll to Sony]] for $1.175 billion, which was completed in August 2021.

In February 2022, Funimation, Wakanim and VRV's services began to be consolidated into Crunchyroll. That March, Funimation Global Group [[https://web.archive.org/web/20220301143736/https://help.crunchyroll.com/hc/en-us/articles/4495938340500 was rebranded]] as Crunchyroll, LLC. On April 2, 2024, the Funimation streaming service was officially shut down.

In February 2022, Funimation, Wakanim and VRV's services began to be consolidated into Crunchyroll. That March, Funimation Global Group [[https://web.archive.org/web/20220301143736/https://help.crunchyroll.com/hc/en-us/articles/4495938340500 was rebranded]] as Crunchyroll, LLC. On April 2, 2024, the Funimation streaming service were officially shut down.

In February 2022, Funimation, Wakanim and VRV's services began to be consolidated into Crunchyroll. That March, Funimation Global Group [[https://web.archive.org/web/20220301143736/https://help.crunchyroll.com/hc/en-us/articles/4495938340500 was rebranded]] as Crunchyroll, LLC. On April 2, 2024, the Funimation website and streaming service were officially shut down.

On July 31, 2017, Sony Pictures Television [[https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2017-07-31/sony-pictures-tv-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-funimation/.119575 acquired a 95% stake in Funimation for $143 million while Fukunaga retained his position with a 5% share]]. On December 9, 2020, AT&T [[https://www.sonypictures.com/corp/press_releases/2020/1209/atttosellcrunchyrolltosonysfunimationglobalgroup sold Crunchyroll to Sony]] for $1.175 billion, which was completed the following August.

In February 2022, Funimation, Wakanim and VRV's services began to be consolidated into Crunchyroll. That March, Funimation Global Group [[https://web.archive.org/web/20220301143736/https://help.crunchyroll.com/hc/en-us/articles/4495938340500 was rebranded]] as Crunchyroll, LLC.

At the 2011 New York Comic Con, Funimation and Nico Nico [[https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2011-10-14/funimation-niconico-to-jointly-license-anime formed a joint partnership for streaming and home video releases]]. The brief partnership established a joint venture, known as "Funico", where Nico Nico handled the online streaming while Funimation handled the home video distribution.

Crunchyroll, LLC, previously known as [=FUNimation=] Productions, [=FUNimation=] Entertainment and Funimation Global Group, is an anime dubbing and distribution company owned by Creator/SonyPicturesTelevision. It is currently based in Coppell, Texas, a suburb of the [[UsefulNotes/DFWMetroplex Dallas[=/=]Fort Worth Metroplex]]. Founded by Gen Fukunaga on May 9, 1994, the company rose to prominence by acquiring the rights to the popular anime title ''Anime/DragonBallZ'', its predecessor series ''Manga/DragonBall'' and its sequel series ''Anime/DragonBallGT'' as a way to survive [[TheNineties the early 1990s]] minor recession. By 1999, they were able to get widespread television exposure via Creator/CartoonNetwork and the ''Dragon Ball'' phenomenon belatedly yet quickly grew in the United States as it had elsewhere, to the point that the company openly describes itself as "the house that ''Dragonball'' built". Two previous attempts by Funimation to release ''Dragon Ball'' to network television had previously been cancelled, before the series and the company found success on Cartoon Network. Over time, it's found success with other anime like the two ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' series and ''Manga/YuYuHakusho''.

In October 2011, it was announced at New York Comic Con that [[https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2011-10-14/funimation-niconico-to-jointly-license-anime Funimation and Nico Nico formed a joint partnership for streaming and home video releases]]. The brief partnership established a joint venture, known as "Funico", where Nico Nico handled the online streaming while Funimation handled the home video distribution.

On June 23, 2015, Funimation entered a multi-year deal with [[Creator/{{Universal}} Universal Studios Home Entertainment]], in which it managed the distribution of all Funimation DVD and Blu-ray releases.

In September 2016, Funimation partnered with Website/{{Crunchyroll}} [[https://web.archive.org/web/20160908193558/http://www.funimation.com/blog/2016/09/08/funimation-crunchyroll-working-together-to-bring-you-more/ to distribute and dub Crunchyroll's licensed titles on home video, while Crunchyroll showed some of Funimation's simulcast titles in a sub-only format]]. [[https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2018-10-18/funimation-crunchyroll-end-content-sharing-partnership/.138330 The partnership formally ended]] on October 10, 2018, mainly due to Creator/SonyPictures and AT&T's respective acquisitions of Funimation and Crunchyroll's parent company, Otter Media. Coincidentally, Sony's acquisition put Funimation under the same corporate roof as Creator/{{Aniplex}} and Creator/A1Pictures.

On July 31, 2017, Sony Pictures Television [[https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2017-07-31/sony-pictures-tv-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-funimation/.119575 acquired a 95% stake in Funimation for $143 million while Fukunaga retained his position with a 5% share]]. On December 9, 2020, AT&T [[https://www.sonypictures.com/corp/press_releases/2020/1209/atttosellcrunchyrolltosonysfunimationglobalgroup sold Crunchyroll to Sony]] for $1.175 billion, which was completed in August 2021.

On July 31, 2017, Sony Pictures Television [[https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2017-07-31/sony-pictures-tv-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-funimation/.119575 acquired a 95% stake in Funimation for $143 million while Fukunaga retained his position with a 5% share]]. On December 9, 2020, AT&T [[https://www.sonypictures.com/corp/press_releases/2020/1209/atttosellcrunchyrolltosonysfunimationglobalgroup sold Crunchyroll to Sony]] for $1.175 billion, which was completed eight months later.

From The90s to The2000s, Funimation was a respectably sized anime distributor. However, by 2009, Funimation bought up titles from Creator/ADVFilms, Creator/{{Geneon}}, and Creator/BandaiEntertainment, and soon came to dominate the North American anime market: the saying became that other companies can only buy licenses that Funimation had passed on after deeming them not worth the investment. By TheNewTens, the only other large distributors are (more or less) Creator/VizMedia (which is also a major manga distributor) and Creator/SentaiFilmworks (a successor company for the remnants of ADV), but they used to have a small fraction of the market share that Funimation enjoys. Yet Sentai and newcomer Creator/AniplexUSA have risen tremendously and Funi's own share of the market and titles have decreased significantly. Also, Creator/NozomiEntertainment, Creator/DiscotekMedia, and Website/{{Crunchyroll}} (starting in 2016, [[http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2016-07-01/crunchyroll-to-dub-release-anime-on-bd-dvd/.103876 due to actually starting to fund dubs in addition to home video releases]]) have also chipped away at Funimation's monopoly. However it's still the leading distributor of anime in the U.S.

In September 2016, Funimation formed a partnership with Website/{{Crunchyroll}} [[https://web.archive.org/web/20160908193558/http://www.funimation.com/blog/2016/09/08/funimation-crunchyroll-working-together-to-bring-you-more/ to distribute and dub Crunchyroll's licensed titles on home video, while Crunchyroll showed some of Funimation's simulcast titles in a sub-only format]]. [[https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2018-10-18/funimation-crunchyroll-end-content-sharing-partnership/.138330 The partnership formally ended]] on October 10, 2018, mainly due to Creator/SonyPictures and AT&T's respective acquisitions of Funimation and Crunchyroll's parent company, Otter Media. Coincidentally, Sony's acquisition put Funimation under the same corporate roof as Creator/{{Aniplex}} and Creator/A1Pictures.

On July 31, 2017, Sony Pictures Television [[https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2017-07-31/sony-pictures-tv-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-funimation/.119575 acquired a 95% stake in Funimation for $143 million while Fukunaga retained his position with a 5% share]]. On December 9, 2020, AT&T [[https://www.sonypictures.com/corp/press_releases/2020/1209/atttosellcrunchyrolltosonysfunimationglobalgroup sold Crunchyroll to Sony]] for $1.175 billion, which was completed on August 9, 2021.

* ''Manga/ElementalGelade'' (reissued by Discotek Media)

In September 2016, Funimation formed a partnership with Website/{{Crunchyroll}}, [[https://web.archive.org/web/20160908193558/http://www.funimation.com/blog/2016/09/08/funimation-crunchyroll-working-together-to-bring-you-more/ to distribute and dub Crunchyroll's licensed titles on home video, while Crunchyroll showed some of Funimation's simulcast titles in a sub-only format]]. [[https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2018-10-18/funimation-crunchyroll-end-content-sharing-partnership/.138330 The partnership formally ended]] on October 10, 2018, mainly due to Creator/SonyPictures and AT&T's respective acquisitions of Funimation and Crunchyroll's parent company, Otter Media. Coincidentally, Sony's acquisition put Funimation under the same corporate roof as Creator/{{Aniplex}} and Creator/A1Pictures.

On June 23, 2015, Funimation entered a multi year deal with [[Creator/{{Universal}} Universal Studios Home Entertainment]], in which it managed the distribution of all Funimation DVD and Blu-ray releases.

In September 2016, Funimation negotiated with Website/{{Crunchyroll}}, [[https://web.archive.org/web/20160908193558/http://www.funimation.com/blog/2016/09/08/funimation-crunchyroll-working-together-to-bring-you-more/ to distribute and dub Crunchyroll's licensed shows on home video, while Crunchyroll showed some of Funimation's simulcast shows in a sub-only format]]. [[https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2018-10-18/funimation-crunchyroll-end-content-sharing-partnership/.138330 The business partnership formally ended]] on October 10, 2018, mainly due to Creator/SonyPictures and AT&T's respective acquisitions of Funimation and Crunchyroll's parent company Otter Media. Coincidentally, Sony's acquisition put Funimation under the same corporate roof as Creator/{{Aniplex}} and Creator/A1Pictures.

On July 31, 2017, Sony Pictures Television [[https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2017-07-31/sony-pictures-tv-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-funimation/.119575 acquired a 95% stake in Funimation for $143 million while Fukunaga retained his position with a 5% share]]. Then, on December 9, 2020, AT&T [[https://www.sonypictures.com/corp/press_releases/2020/1209/atttosellcrunchyrolltosonysfunimationglobalgroup sold Crunchyroll to Sony]] for $1.175 billion. After a year-and-a-half of regulatory approvals, Sony seized control of Crunchyroll on August 9, 2021.

In February 2022, Crunchyroll began integrating with the Funimation, Wakanim and VRV services. That March, Funimation Global Group [[https://web.archive.org/web/20220301143736/https://help.crunchyroll.com/hc/en-us/articles/4495938340500 was rebranded]] as Crunchyroll, LLC.

In September 2006, Funimation negotiated with Website/{{Crunchyroll}}, [[https://web.archive.org/web/20160908193558/http://www.funimation.com/blog/2016/09/08/funimation-crunchyroll-working-together-to-bring-you-more/ to distribute and dub Crunchyroll's licensed shows on home video, while Crunchyroll showed some of Funimation's simulcast shows in a sub-only format]]. [[https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2018-10-18/funimation-crunchyroll-end-content-sharing-partnership/.138330 The business partnership formally ended]] on October 10, 2018, mainly due to Creator/SonyPictures and AT&T's respective acquisitions of Funimation and Crunchyroll's parent company Otter Media. Coincidentally, Sony's acquisition put Funimation under the same corporate roof as Creator/{{Aniplex}} and Creator/A1Pictures.

In February 2022, Crunchyroll began its integration with the Funimation, Wakanim and VRV services. That March, Funimation Global Group [[https://web.archive.org/web/20220301143736/https://help.crunchyroll.com/hc/en-us/articles/4495938340500 was rebranded]] as Crunchyroll, LLC.

In an effort to counter {{fansub}}s, they had previously made a number of their titles available for free on their website, and [=YouTube=] channel, including new acquisitions that have never been sold legally in the United States before, like ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'' and the original ''Anime/CaptainHarlock'' series. They have also begun a program to carry shows on their video site a few days after they air in Japan; they have done this with ''Manga/CorpsePrincess'' and ''[[Literature/FullMetalPanic Full Metal Panic: The Second Raid]]'' and are now doing this with newer ''Creator/NoitaminA'' series and episodes of ''Manga/OnePiece''. Unfortunately, they only have distribution rights for the USA and Canada for any of these, and have thus prevented people outside North America from watching those shows on their own website. This is... less [[NoExportForYou awesome]].

In the early years, Funimation had a poor reputation amongst many anime fans. This was largely due to their only license at the time, ''Dragon Ball'', being heavily altered and censored. Today, the company is now held in ''very'' high regard for their excellent staff and being faithful to their properties. Part of their marketing strategy is that they actually listen to the fans and take their suggestions into account, which does work. ''Dragon Ball'' gradually became more faithful to the original and they have overall created a new standard in [[SugarWiki/SuperlativeDubbing the proper English dubbing of anime]]. They graciously make most of their titles available in full on their website, with links to which DVD they're on so they may be purchased. They also ran their own digital cable channel, which was the only linear anime-exclusive, television network (before they ended their partnership with channel owner Olympusat, who subsequently replaced the linear network with TOKU in 2015, while Funimation relaunched the channel as a digital streaming service in 2016). This all happened amidst an economic recession that shrunk the dubbing industry, which results in gaining a higher percentage of anime statewide than other studios. Because of their insane amount of titles, and the somewhat limited budget for dubs, 95% of the time they have to use the same actors who live in the area, leading to overlapping situations in all their shows, and who have gained growing popularity among fans.

* ''[[Literature/FullMetalPanic Full Metal Panic: The Second Raid]]'' [[note]]sort of. Kadokawa Pictures USA [now defunct] held the license itself and outsourced localization -- translation, subtitling, scripts, dubbing - to ADV in order to have consistency with the previous two series; Funimation was in charge of packaging, DVD authoring, and distribution. Funi now hold this license outright, though[[/note]]

* MoneyDearBoy: This is the reason why many of their actors only appear to stick around for a handful of years. For example, a number of the actors in the dub of ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist2003'' are all now in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, dubbing anime pays very little compared to other acting jobs, and most like to reach for union jobs instead of Funimation's non-union ones.

In January 2016, Funimation launched their subscription-based streaming service. That September, Funimation negotiated with Website/{{Crunchyroll}}, [[https://web.archive.org/web/20160908193558/http://www.funimation.com/blog/2016/09/08/funimation-crunchyroll-working-together-to-bring-you-more/ to distribute and dub Crunchyroll's licensed shows on home video, while Crunchyroll showed some of Funimation's simulcast shows in a sub-only format]]. [[https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2018-10-18/funimation-crunchyroll-end-content-sharing-partnership/.138330 The business partnership formally ended]] on October 10, 2018, mainly due to Creator/SonyPictures and AT&T's respective acquisitions of Funimation and Crunchyroll's parent company Otter Media. Coincidentally, Sony's acquisition put Funimation under the same corporate roof as Creator/{{Aniplex}} and Creator/A1Pictures.

On July 31, 2017, Sony Pictures Television [[https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2017-07-31/sony-pictures-tv-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-funimation/.119575 acquired a 95% stake in Funimation for $143 million while Fukunaga retained his position with a 5% share]]. Then, on December 9, 2020, AT&T [[https://www.sonypictures.com/corp/press_releases/2020/1209/atttosellcrunchyrolltosonysfunimationglobalgroup sold Crunchyroll to Sony]] for $1.175 billion. After a year-and-a-half of regulatory approvals, Sony seized control of Crunchyroll on August 9, 2021. In March 2022, Funimation Global Group [[https://web.archive.org/web/20220301143736/https://help.crunchyroll.com/hc/en-us/articles/4495938340500 was rebranded]] as Crunchyroll, LLC.

From the early 1990s to the 2000s, Funimation was a respectably sized anime distributor but not considered one of the "Big Three" - which (depending on who you ask) were Creator/ADVFilms, Creator/{{Geneon}}, and Creator/BandaiEntertainment. The North American anime distributors, unfortunately, then went through a classic boom and bust cycle (like the video game industry in 1983 and comic book industry in 1993). It started with peak expansion in 2004-2005, which soon led to over-expansion, followed by the crash of 2008. Each of the Big Three had invested heavily in these expansion efforts to buy up most of the new titles, so they were hit the hardest. Geneon shut down in September 2007, and for the next full year, each week brought news of a new shutdown or cancelled project. Bandai also dwindled away, given that its parent company in Japan basically gave up on the North American market after realizing that they could never hope to sell anime there at the same prices they did in Japan (and ultimately Bandai shut down American operations in 2012). ADV dwindled away to almost nothing but clung to life for a while, with the meager remnants later reorganizing into other companies. When the dust settled, by 2009 Funimation was left as the only truly large and functional major anime distributor in North America. It bought up titles from the closed companies at fire sale prices, and soon came to dominate the North American anime market: the saying became that other companies can only buy licenses that Funimation had passed on after deeming them not worth the investment. Circa the New Tens, the only other large distributors are (more or less) Creator/VizMedia (which is also a major manga distributor) and Creator/SentaiFilmworks (a successor company for the remnants of ADV), but they used to have a small fraction of the market share that Funimation enjoys. Yet Sentai and newcomer Creator/AniplexUSA have risen tremendously and Funi's own share of the market and titles have decreased significantly. Also, Creator/NozomiEntertainment, Creator/DiscotekMedia, and Website/{{Crunchyroll}} (starting in 2016, [[http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2016-07-01/crunchyroll-to-dub-release-anime-on-bd-dvd/.103876 due to actually starting to fund dubs in addition to home video releases]]) have also chipped away at Funimation's monopoly. However it's still the leading distributor of anime in the U.S.

The company has done some interesting things regarding [=DVDs=], especially involving ''Dragon Ball'', such as starting a redubbed DVD series called the "Ultimate Uncut" Edition, only to abruptly drop that and subsequently announce new "Remastered" Season Box Sets of the entire series, cropped to widescreen. Naturally, many fans weren't impressed with the cropping, and the so-called Orange Boxes became the best selling anime boxsets on DVD by far. Due in part to purist backlash over the cropping in the Orange Boxes, Funimation announced they had finally acquired the Super-High Quality Dragon Boxes from Japan, with the English dub remixed so that it retains the original background music, and Japanese voices selected by default for all those hardcore fans that didn't buy into the widescreen remasters. The Dragon Box releases have since gone out of print.

On September 9, 2016, Funimation entered a deal with Website/{{Crunchyroll}}, [[https://web.archive.org/web/20160908193558/http://www.funimation.com/blog/2016/09/08/funimation-crunchyroll-working-together-to-bring-you-more/ in which they would distribute some of Crunchyroll's licensed shows on home video, in addition to creating dubs for them, while Crunchyroll would show some of Funimation's simulcast shows in a sub-only format]]. [[https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2018-10-18/funimation-crunchyroll-end-content-sharing-partnership/.138330 The business partnership formally ended]] on October 10, 2018, mainly due to the acquisition of Funimation by Creator/SonyPictures (and vice versa with Crunchyroll's parent company acquired by AT&T). Coincidentally, this acquisition put Funimation under the same corporate roof as Creator/{{Aniplex}} and Creator/A1Pictures.

On July 31, 2017, Sony Pictures Television [[https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2017-07-31/sony-pictures-tv-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-funimation/.119575 acquired a 95% stake in Funimation for $143 million while Fukunaga retained his position with a 5% share]]. Then, on December 9, 2020, AT&T [[https://www.sonypictures.com/corp/press_releases/2020/1209/atttosellcrunchyrolltosonysfunimationglobalgroup agreed to sell Crunchyroll to Sony]] for $1.175 billion. It was eventually approved by regulators on August 9, 2021, bringing the Crunchyroll and Funimation properties under one roof.

On March 1, 2022, Funimation Global Group [[https://web.archive.org/web/20220301143736/https://help.crunchyroll.com/hc/en-us/articles/4495938340500 was rebranded]] as Crunchyroll, LLC. Most of their content has been absorbed into Crunchyroll's website since. Sony later announced on February 7, 2024, that Funimation's streaming service would cease operations by April.

On July 31, 2017, Sony Pictures Television [[https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2017-07-31/sony-pictures-tv-to-acquire-majority-stake-in-funimation/.119575 acquired a 95% stake in Funimation for $143 million while Fukunaga retained his position with a 5% share]]. Then, on December 9, 2020, AT&T [[https://www.sonypictures.com/corp/press_releases/2020/1209/atttosellcrunchyrolltosonysfunimationglobalgroup agreed to sell Crunchyroll to Sony]] for $1.175 billion. It was eventually approved by regulators on August 9, 2021, finally bringing the Crunchyroll and Funimation properties under one roof.

On March 1, 2022, Funimation Global Group [[https://web.archive.org/web/20220301143736/https://help.crunchyroll.com/hc/en-us/articles/4495938340500 was rebranded]] as Crunchyroll, LLC. Since then, a majority of their content has been absorbed into Crunchyroll's website. Two years later, Sony announced on February 7 that the Funimation streaming service would cease operations by April.

On March 1, 2022, Funimation Global Group [[https://web.archive.org/web/20220301143736/https://help.crunchyroll.com/hc/en-us/articles/4495938340500 was rebranded]] as Crunchyroll, LLC. Since then, a majority of their content has been absorbed into the Crunchyroll website. Two years later, Sony announced on February 7 that the Funimation streaming service would cease operations by April.

On March 1, 2022, Funimation Global Group [[https://web.archive.org/web/20220301143736/https://help.crunchyroll.com/hc/en-us/articles/4495938340500 was rebranded]] as Crunchyroll, LLC. Since then, their content has been absorbed into the Crunchyroll website. Two years later, what many saw as inevitable happened: Sony announced on February 7 the Funimation streaming service would cease operations by April.

On March 1, 2022, Funimation Global Group [[https://web.archive.org/web/20220301143736/https://help.crunchyroll.com/hc/en-us/articles/4495938340500 was rebranded]] as Crunchyroll, LLC, with the company's content being absorbed into Crunchyroll's website since then. Two years later, what many saw as inevitable happened: Sony announced on February 7 the Funimation streaming service would cease operations by April.

On March 1, 2022, Funimation Global Group [[https://web.archive.org/web/20220301143736/https://help.crunchyroll.com/hc/en-us/articles/4495938340500 was rebranded]] as Crunchyroll, LLC, with most of the company's content being absorbed into Crunchyroll's website. Two years later, Sony announced on February 7 the Funimation streaming service would cease operations by April.

Funimation currently holds the rights for almost all Creator/{{GONZO}} properties[[note]] (exceptions: ''VideoGame/GateKeepers'' and ''Anime/GateKeepers21'' (Creator/{{Geneon}}); ''Anime/BlueSubmarineNo6'', ''Manga/{{Bokurano}}'' (Creator/DiscotekMedia); ''Melty Lancer'', ''Literature/SentouYouseiYukikaze'' (Creator/BandaiEntertainment); ''Manga/ATownWhereYouLive'' (Creator/NozomiEntertainment); ''Anime/{{Gravion}}'', ''WesternAnimation/GIJoeSigma6'', ''Anime/FinalFantasyUnlimited'', ''Zaion I Wish You Were Here'', ''Manga/SpecialA'', ''Literature/DogAndScissors'', ''Manga/{{Saikano}}'', ''Manga/BlueDrop'', ''Anime/LeviathanTheLastDefense'', (Creator/ADVFilms and its descendants); ''Manga/RealBoutHighSchool'' (Creator/{{Tokyopop}}); ''Manga/SevenSeeds'' (Creator/{{Netflix}}), and others that remain unlicensed)[[/note]], and they have been releasing them in very appealing boxed sets with excellent production values and many extras (examples include their releases of ''Anime/AfroSamurai'' and ''Anime/SpeedGrapher''). They also have an imprint of sorts called ''The Viridian Collection'', which they have designed as a sort of Creator/CriterionCollection for high-profile anime releases, such as ''Anime/SamuraiSeven'', ''Manga/{{Basilisk}}'' and ''Manga/DesertPunk''. These releases are budget priced, so it's very easy to amass a relatively large collection of good anime without breaking your pockets. ''S.A.V.E. Edition'', where you can get a complete series for at most $30, takes this concept one step further. Funimation is currently in talks to possibly re-license titles that Creator/BandaiEntertainment had before they ceased producing anything themselves, which could result in a mass acquisition very similar to GONZO.

The company has done some interesting things regarding [=DVDs=], especially involving ''Dragon Ball'', such as starting a redubbed DVD series called the "Ultimate Uncut" Edition, only to abruptly drop that and subsequently announce new "Remastered" Season Box Sets of the entire series, cropped to widescreen. Naturally, many fans weren't impressed with the cropping, and the so-called Orange Boxes became the best selling anime boxsets on DVD by far. Due in part to purist backlash over the cropping in the Orange Boxes, Funimation announced they had finally acquired the Super-High Quality Dragon Boxes from Japan, with the English dub remixed so that it retains the original background music, and Japanese voices selected by default for all those hardcore fans that didn't buy into the widescreen remasters. The Dragon Box releases are, as of 2015, out of print.

In October 2011, it was announced at New York Comic Con that [[https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2011-10-14/funimation-niconico-to-jointly-license-anime Funimation and Nico Nico formed a joint partnership for streaming and home video releases]]. The partnership established a joint venture, known as "Funico", where Nico Nico handled the online streaming while Funimation handled the home video distribution.

On March 1, 2022, Funimation [[https://web.archive.org/web/20220301143736/https://help.crunchyroll.com/hc/en-us/articles/4495938340500 announced]] their rebranding as Crunchyroll, LLC, with most of the company's content being absorbed into Crunchyroll's website. Two years later, Crunchyroll announced on February 7 the Funimation streaming service would cease operations by April.

On March 1, 2022, Funimation [[https://web.archive.org/web/20220301143736/https://help.crunchyroll.com/hc/en-us/articles/4495938340500 announced]] their rebranding as Crunchyroll, LLC, with most of the company's content being absorbed into Crunchyroll's website. Some of its staff were relocated to other divisions within Crunchyroll. Two years later, Funimation announced on February 7 their website would officially shut down by April.

On March 1, 2022, Funimation [[https://web.archive.org/web/20220301143736/https://help.crunchyroll.com/hc/en-us/articles/4495938340500 announced]] their rebranding as Crunchyroll, LLC, with most of the company's content being absorbed into Crunchyroll's website. Some of its staff were relocated to other divisions within Crunchyroll. Two years later, Funimation announced their website would officially close by April.

On March 1, 2022, Funimation [[https://web.archive.org/web/20220301143736/https://help.crunchyroll.com/hc/en-us/articles/4495938340500 announced]] their rebranding as Crunchyroll, LLC, with most of the company's content being absorbed into the Crunchyroll website. Two years later, Funimation announced their services would cease operations in April.